Hypersomnia Foundation Regional Conference on June 4th

The Hypersomnia Foundation (HF) board is finalizing the program for its 2017 Boston Regional Conference. We will provide Eventbrite registration details in the near future via Facebook, Twitter and Somnusnooze.

Information below will help you begin making your travel plans to Boston. Read to the bottom for information on special hotel accommodations!

Survey responders voted the trolley tour #1 choice for our Saturday afternoon activity. Sit back, relax and discover all that Boston has to offer by means of this sightseeing tour! Group booking arrangements will be available through our Eventbrite once it is live, and we anticipate the per person rate will not exceed $36.00 (seating will be limited).

7:30PM – Meet and Greet Game Night

Enjoy a casual meet and greet with light snacks and games hosted by the HF Board at the Residence Inn Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf.This event is FREE but you will need to register once our Eventbrite is live.

We have booked Rabb Lecture Hall in the newly renovated Johnson Building at the Boston Public Library for another fabulous regional conference featuring dynamic speakers.In this state-of-the-art facility, our outstanding speakers will cover research updates on idiopathic hypersomnia and related disorders. This year’s conference, however, will also focus on advocacy and empowerment to assist people with hypersomnia and their supporters navigate this world living with a chronic, rare disorder.

COST OF CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE – We understand Boston can be pricey. With this in mind, we have been hard at work negotiating the perfect location and space for our conference. The stars aligned and this year attendance to this event will be FREE!
Due to limited space you will need to register for the conference once the Eventbrite is live.

At this moment we are not 100% certain that Livestreaming the event will be possible, but are working diligently to identify sponsorship to help cover AV and Livestreaming costs. Watch for updates.

Hotel Accommodations – For Saturday night, June 3rd, The Residence Inn Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf has offered a special group rate of $289.00 USD per night (plus tax) for a studio suite. All rooms include complimentary breakfast and in-room high-speed internet access. These discounted rooms are limited and we cannot stress enough to book early!

This Residence Inn has generously agreed to offer this same rate for a limited number of rooms for Friday (June 2) and Sunday (June 4) nights as well.

To make a reservation guests can either call 800-331-3131 to the central reservation team (be sure to mention the Hypersomnia Foundation room block) or book online through this link:

With specific hotel questions please contact Dory Noll at the Residence Inn,
at 617-933-5313 and she will be happy to assist you.

Details about registration for the Saturday trolley tour and the meet and greet, as well as for Sunday’s Regional Conference will be highlighted in a future SomnusNooze once program details have been finalized.

If you haven’t made your plans yet to attend the Hypersomnia Foundation’s regional conference in Denver—Beyond Sleepy in the Mile High City—you might want to do so today. Tickets are selling fast and seating is limited. The big event is in less than seven weeks! A registration link and additional information are available on the Hypersomnia Foundation website, or you can click on the ticket image below to go straight to the registration site.

Wondering whether it’s going to be worth the trip to Denver? Well, wonder no longer. Whether you’re flying across country or driving down the mountain, this meeting offers plenty of time to network and socialize in addition to hearing some fantastic speakers. Remember, attending in person is the only way for you to participate in the question-and-answer session with the experts.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday evening, June 11, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm—Join us in the Atrium Alcove on the fourth floor of the Embassy Suites Hotel 1420 Stout Street, Denver, CO. Catch up with old friends and meet new people as we play board and card games or just spend some time in conversation.

Sunday morning, June 12, from 7:30 to 10:30 am—Join us for a hot made-to-order breakfast at the Embassy Suites Hotel and grab a spot at one of the tables we will have reserved. Don’t worry if you’re not up at 7:30; we’ll save you a place to join us later. (Breakfast is free if you are a guest at the Embassy Suites Hotel and $20 if you are not).

Sunday morning from 10:00 am to noon—Join us to pick up your name badge at registration on the third floor in the Crestone foyer at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Didn’t have enough time to socialize on Saturday evening? We will have a designated gathering space available during this time. Be sure to eat before coming to the conference. We will not be serving lunch.

Sunday afternoon from noon to 5 pm—Join us in the Crestone Salon B meeting room on the third floor of the Embassy Suites to hear six scientific presentations covering the latest on hypersomnia research and how to cope with hypersomnia through the use of behavioral sleep medicine, as well as other fabulous topics. Listed below are the speakers and their topics.

How do our brains control when we go to sleep and when we wake up? Previous studies have tried to answer this question, but, despite years of research, our understanding of this process is incomplete. Therefore, the goal of this study was to identify the elusive mechanisms underlying the control of sleep.

Who were the researchers and what did they do?

Dr. Ueda and colleagues at the University of Tokyo constructed a computer model (called computational modeling) of a neuron (a type of cell in the brain) during sleep to predict what pathway(s) might be responsible for sleep regulation. They then manipulated the proposed pathway in mice to test if the computer model was correct. Dr. Ueda and colleagues employed cutting-edge techniques to either remove the proposed pathway gene products from mice using genetic engineering (called knockout mice), or block the proposed pathway gene products using drugs (called pharmacologic inhibition). The authors then measured how these experimental manipulations of the proposed pathway in mice impacted sleep.

What were the results of the study?

This study revealed that the proposed pathway from the computational model does indeed control sleep duration in mice. Seven genes involved in the pathway emerged as having effects on sleep duration, out of a total 21 examined. The identified genes are involved in the regulation of a calcium-dependent pathway in neurons. Interestingly, changes in this calcium-dependent pathway can increase or decrease sleep duration.

What are the authors’ conclusions?

The authors conclude that this calcium-dependent pathway helps to regulate sleep duration. Future research in this pathway may help uncover the “missing switch between sleep/wake cycles.” This crucial research will lead to a better understanding of normal sleep function, in addition to associated sleep and psychiatric disorders.

Learn about the latest hypersomnia research on June 12th at the Hypersomnia Foundation’s regional conference, Beyond Sleepy in the Mile High City. Scientists will share findings from their recently completed clinical trials and other ongoing studies, lead us on a journey through the drug discovery and approval process, and help us to cope with the daily struggles of hypersomnia. You will also learn how your future participation in the registry can help to solve the puzzle of hypersomnia.

Order your $25 ticket on line to join us in person in Denver or wait until June 1 to sign up for a live Internet stream of the conference, brought to you free of charge through the generous support of Balance Therapeutics, Inc., and Flamel Technologies, SA.

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